Tag: Poland

Introduction Of Cannabis Decriminalization Measure Expected In Poland

Written by Johnny Green on July 25, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Medical cannabis policy modernization has spread across the European continent in recent decades, with most European nations now being home to some level of medical cannabis legalization, including medical cannabis commerce.

In more recent years, adult-use cannabis policy modernization efforts have picked up steam on the European continent. Malta became the first European nation to adopt a national adult-use legalization measure in 2021, followed by Luxembourg in 2023 and Germany in 2024.

Lawmakers in the Czech Republic also approved a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure earlier this month, although the historic law doesn’t take effect until January 1, 2026. Additionally, regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are underway in the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Another European country that is pushing for adult-use cannabis policy reform is Poland, where national lawmakers are expected to introduce a measure in September that would decriminalize personal cannabis activity by adults.

“A parliamentary bill on the decriminalization of marijuana will be submitted to the Sejm in September, RMF FM journalist Kacper Wróblewski has learned. Discussions are underway within parliamentary caucuses and efforts are underway to secure a majority to support the legislation, which is already in place, according to members of the parliamentary team responsible for drafting the bill.” reported RMF24 in its original reporting (translated from Polish to English).

“The draft is ready. Individual, minor issues may still emerge in the negotiations between coalition partners and clubs. For example, the permissible amount of dried herb or cannabis. The regulations will be released soon, says Civic Coalition MP Marcin Józefaciuk, a member of the parliamentary group for marijuana decriminalization.” the outlet also stated.

What constitutes cannabis legalization versus decriminalization differs in Europe compared to the United States. Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to adopt cannabis decriminalization in 1973, removing criminal penalties for personal cannabis possession of up to one ounce. Personal possession still resulted in a $1,000 fine in Oregon at the time. Oregon would later completely legalize cannabis possession in 2014, removing the fine.

Compare that to measures adopted in Europe, which are often described as ‘decriminalization.’ The removal of any penalty for adults possessing a personal amount of cannabis, such as what has now been adopted in multiple European countries, would technically be considered legalization in the United States. It demonstrates that there is some subjectivity in how adult-use cannabis policy modernization is categorized on both sides of the Atlantic.

Regardless of how the measure that is expected to be introduced in Poland in September is described, if it is approved, it will be a welcome change for the nation’s cannabis consumers, including medical patients who are having to navigate shifting regulations for obtaining medical cannabis patient approval.

At its peak in 2024, Poland’s approved medical cannabis patient base was roughly 90,000. However, changes in telemedicine regulations resulted in the patient numbers falling to about 33,000 by the end of the year, although they have since rebounded a bit in 2025.

Poland Study Finds That Hemp Seed Oil Mitigates Eczema Symptoms

Written by Johnny Green on July 5, 2025. Posted in Science.

According to international health researchers, atopic dermatitis, often referred to as eczema, affects roughly 20% of children and 10% of adults worldwide. Full disclosure – I am one of those adults, and know firsthand how difficult eczema is to deal with when it flares up.

Eczema is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory skin condition, and while that may not sound like a serious condition, it can be in extreme cases. The skin condition is often associated with sleep disruption, decreased work productivity, and the development of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

A recent case study led by researchers based in Poland, in conjunction with a researcher affiliated with De Montfort University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, focused on the use of hemp seed oil as a treatment for eczema. The study’s findings were published in the journal Current Issues in Pharmacy and Medical Sciences.

“Epidemiological studies conducted over the past 35 years indicate a 2-fold rise in incidence, linked to environmental factors, among others, growing atmospheric pollution, rising socioeconomic status and increasing popularity of the so called western lifestyle.” the researchers wrote. “Emollient therapy is the mainstay of proper skincare and treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD) patients.”

“The subject of the study was transdermal delivery of an emulsion compounded with cholesterol ointment, Cannabis Sativa L. (hemp) seed oil, white petroleum jelly, purified water and urea to the skin of hands of a 23-year old male patient suffering atopic dermatitis (eczema) since infancy.” the researchers wrote about their methodology. “The emulsion was applied to the skin once daily before sleep and covered with cotton gloves for the night for the occlusion effect for a period of 3 months.”

“In our observational study, regular, 3-month application of the emulsion based on Cannabis Sativa L. oil considerably reduced inflammation, erythema, pruritus, xerosis and scaling of the skin, soothing excoriations and lichenification.” the researchers concluded.

A recent market analysis by Future Market Insights estimates that the global hemp seed oil market is “valued at USD 147.8 million in 2025, is expected to climb to USD 855.7 million by 2035, showcasing a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2% during the forecast period.”

European Study Explores Hemp Blocks And Compaction Direction

Written by Johnny Green on May 16, 2025. Posted in Science.

Does the direction that hemp hurd is compacted into blocks make a difference in how well the blocks insulate and hold up under stress? That was the focus of a recent study conducted by a team of European researchers affiliated with Riga Technical University in Latvia and Lublin University of Technology in Poland. The study’s findings were published in the Journal of Natural Fibers.

“The study aims to assess the impact of variable binder content and the direction of compaction on the properties of the hemp-magnesium composites.” the researchers stated about the goal of their study. “These two factors may influence the scope of application of the developed composites (e.g. as a lightweight insulating filling of a frame wall, or a heavier material for load-bearing applications or in prefabrication).”

“Capillary rise, thermal conductivity, compressive and flexural strength in two directions, as well as the absorbability were tested. An analysis of the environmental impact of the composites was also prepared.” the team stated about their methodology.

“When a magnesium binder is used, it is possible to produce lightweight composites with low thermal conductivity (0.07 W/(m∙K)), but also heavier ones with high compressive (1.73 MPa) and flexural (0.98 MPa) strength. It is possible to improve selected parameters after changing the direction of compaction. The thermal conductivity of composites compacted in a direction parallel to the heat flow was lower by 17–25% compared to a perpendicular direction.” the researchers stated.

“The positive effects of changing the direction of compaction can be used in prefabrication by adjusting the compaction process. The impact on climate change varies significantly due to the proportion of these materials from 55.07 kg CO2 eq. to 358.64 kg CO2 eq.” the team concluded.

The study’s findings build on other recent research conducted by the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, which reportedly developed new hemp-lime building blocks potentially capable of being used as a material for load-bearing structures.

“These zones, like conventional hemp limestone blocks, are to be composed exclusively of biomass and mineral binders. According to the project participants, the aim is to create a climate-positive alternative to aerated concrete blocks or lightweight vertically perforated bricks, enabling single-shell masonry construction from rapidly renewable raw materials.” reported Allgemeine Bauzeitung in its local coverage (translated from German to English).

The Institute for Construction and Agricultural Machinery Technology at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences is developing a device that will be designed to produce compacted bricks made of hemp on a large scale. The resulting bricks will undergo testing to further explore their efficiency and application feasibility.

“In the second half of our project, we will devote ourselves to practical tests with our masonry blocks. We will erect several wall modules and examine their structural properties. In addition to properties such as load-bearing capacity, thermal insulation, and moisture behavior, we want to determine which materials, such as plaster and mortar, are compatible with the blocks and demonstrate that the blocks can be easily processed using conventional tools,” said project leader Prof. Dr. Arne Künstler from the Faculty of Architecture at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences according to Allgemeine Bauzeitung.

During a recent presentation at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin, leading international cannabis industry economist, Beau Whitney, founder of Whitney Economics, provided data demonstrating that the value of the global industrial hemp industry could be $456.2 billion. Hemp being increasingly used for construction would further bolster the international hemp market’s potential.

Poland Study Finds Cannabinoid Ointment Relieves Eczema Symptoms

Written by Frank Schuler on April 21, 2025. Posted in Science.

Eczema is a common skin condition that causes dry, itchy, and inflamed skin in people who suffer from it. Eczema is also known as atopic dermatitis. Researchers estimate that roughly 10% to 20% of children and 2% to 10% of adults worldwide have eczema.

Common treatments for eczema include over-the-counter products that may help to some degree. Pharmaceutical drugs are also sometimes prescribed for eczema sufferers, including non-steroid topical creams, steroid topical creams, and daily pill prescriptions.

A team of researchers in Poland recently conducted a study examining the application of cannabinoid-based ointments and eczema. Below is more information about the study and its findings via a news release from NORML:

Katowice, Poland: The topical administration of an ointment containing standardized percentages of CBD and CBG (cannabigerol) mitigates symptoms and improves the health-related quality of life in patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema), according to observational data published in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology.

Polish investigators assessed the transdermal use of cannabinoids in nine patients diagnosed with AD. Study participants applied a cannabinoid-infused ointment containing 30 percent CBD and five percent CBG daily for eight weeks.

Cannabis treatment led to the remission of skin lesions and other changes in skin parameters, including improved hydration and less itching.

“Our results demonstrate that topical cannabinoid therapy is effective in reducing itching and improving the quality of life of patients with AD, leading to symptom remission in some cases,” the study’s authors concluded.

The results are consistent with those of prior studies finding that the topical application of cannabinoids provides benefits in treating various skin-related conditions, including psoriasis, erythema, pruritus, and acne. Cannabinoid treatment is also associated with wound healing in patients with refractory leg ulcers and has demonstrated positive results in patients suffering from the skin blistering disease epidermolysis bullosa.

Full text of the study, “Evaluation of biophysical parameters of the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis after application of an ointment containing 30% cannabidiol and 5% cannabigerol,” appears in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology.

Medical Cannabis Prescriptions Are Decreasing In Poland

Written by Hazel Norman on January 10, 2025. Posted in Policy.

Medical cannabis reform was implemented in Poland in 2017, and as of November 2022, the nation’s doctors were approving roughly 3,000 medical cannabis patients a month. After years of an increasing medical cannabis patient base, Poland’s medical cannabis approvals are reportedly declining.

“New regulations in Poland require in-person doctor visits for medical cannabis prescriptions, leading to a sharp drop from 68,000 in October 2024 to 28,000 by December.” reported Born2Invest in its original coverage.

“This change is not surprising at all, because medical cannabis was largely used not for treatment, but for recreation. The new regulations limit this phenomenon,” commented Jakub Kosikowski, spokesman for the Supreme Medical Chamber, according to Born2Invest.

While medical cannabis policy in Poland appears to be backtracking, there is an effort to modernize the nation’s adult-use policies. In November 2024, a legislative committee in Poland sent a cannabis reform proposal to Prime Minister Donald Tusk for his consideration.

Members of the Polish Parliamentary Committee on Petitions moved forward with the proposal which would decriminalize up to 15 grams of cannabis for personal use by adults in addition to decriminalizing home cultivation of one plant. However, the measure still has additional political hurdles before becoming law.

Currently, nearly five dozen countries around the world have adopted medical cannabis legalization to some degree, and Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and South Africa have adopted national adult-use legalization measures.

Polish Legislative Committee Takes Step Toward Decriminalizing Cannabis

Written by Johnny Green on November 13, 2024. Posted in Policy.

A legislative committee in Poland recently sent a cannabis reform proposal to Prime Minister Donald Tusk for his consideration. Members of the Polish Parliamentary Committee on Petitions moved forward with the proposal which would decriminalize up to 15 grams of cannabis for personal use by adults in addition to decriminalizing home cultivation of one plant.

“Tusk has 30 days to respond to the petition, which is not legally binding as it would be for a formal bill. The petition, or “dezyderat,” is more of a request from the legislative body for action on the issue.” stated Marijuana Moment in its initial coverage.

“The prime minister will be required to provide a written response with details about any steps the administration will take, an explanation if they don’t intend to act on it or a referral to another agency.” the outlet also stated.

“The committee has just finished considering the petition I submitted to the Sejm, together with a bill assuming the decriminalization of possession of up to 15 g and the cultivation of 1 plant for one’s own needs.” stated Polish activist Przemysław Zawadzki about the proposal in a social media post (translated from Polish to English). Zawadzki is the CEO & co-founder of Freedom Farms SA.

“Everything went basically according to plan and with the support of MP Marcin Józefaciuk – Your MP who, contrary to the suggestion contained in the absurd opinion of the Sejm Expertise Office to reject my project, requested that a desideratum be sent to Prime Minister Donald Tusk in this matter and the Commission agreed to this. Thanks also to Łukasz Rydzik for his support on the Commission.” Zawadzki said.

“We are therefore waiting for the position of the Prime Minister, who has recently spoken publicly several times that it is worth ending the punishment for a joint and will not interfere with this, and at the same time we are working on other fronts. This path is one of many because we want to clearly indicate that cannabis users exist and their problem related to the penalization of possession of herb is real and serious.” Zawadzki also stated.

Cannabis is currently legal for adult use in Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany, as well as in Uruguay, Canada, and South Africa. Cannabis is also legal for adult use in roughly half of the states in the U.S. and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are operating in the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Increased Safe Access In Poland Is A Good Thing

Written by Johnny Green on November 27, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Poland may not be the first country that you think of when the topic of medical cannabis comes up, however, the country is currently experiencing a medical cannabis revolution of sorts, thanks in large part to how access to medical cannabis is determined. In a concept that should not be seen in any way as being controversial, Poland allows its doctors to ultimately decide who should qualify for medical cannabis prescriptions.

In many other jurisdictions, doctors can only approve suffering patients if they have been diagnosed with a qualifying condition. In some areas, the list of qualifying conditions is fairly robust. Yet, in many other areas the list of qualifying conditions can be very limited. In both cases, there are always some amount of suffering patients that do not qualify for a medical cannabis program because their condition or conditions are not on the list, which is truly unfortunate. Thankfully, Poland does not limit its doctors when it comes to medical cannabis and allows them to prescribe medical cannabis to anyone that they think it will help.

The Spread Of Safe Access

Medical cannabis reform was implemented in Poland in 2017, and as of last year doctors in the country were averaging roughly 3,000 medical cannabis patient approvals per month. When a medical cannabis program goes from zero to 3,000 new patients a month that may sound like a lot to some people, however, when put into proper context the monthly figure in Poland is not nearly as staggering as some cannabis opponents and mainstream media outlets seem to portray it to be.

For context, it is estimated that there are nearly 200,000 medical cannabis patients in Germany as of 2022. Taking the reported Poland medical cannabis patient statistic at face value, at roughly 3,000 patients being signed up per month Poland should now be home to roughly 36,000 annual medical cannabis patients. If those numbers are correct, that means that Germany has over five times as many medical cannabis patients compared to Poland even though Germany’s population (roughly 83 million people) is nowhere near five times that of Poland (roughly 38 million people).

The fact of the matter is that increased access to medical cannabis is a great thing. Suffering patients should always have safe access to effective medicine, including cannabis, and that is true in Poland just as it is true everywhere else. Deep down cannabis opponents know that, which is why they never seem to offer up actual evidence of a negative impact on public health when a medical cannabis program is increasing in size, but rather, they simply point to the fact that the program is increasing in size and then try to argue that the increase alone should be cause for alarm.

Trust The Experts

Medical doctors are trained, certified, and licensed. They are quite literally experts when it comes to human biology and medicine. Politicians and members of the mainstream media, on the other hand, are not experts when it comes to human biology and medicine, unless of course they double as licensed doctors. With that in mind, deciding what forms and frequencies of medical treatments are the most effective for a given patient and situation is something that should be determined by a doctor and the patient. Anyone that says otherwise is pushing a political agenda.

When a doctor prescribes medicine to a patient, they are doing so knowing that they could be putting their entire careers on the line. All of the years that they have put into developing their practice, including numerous grueling years in medical school, could all go up in smoke if they make a wrong move. No doctor is going to flush their careers down the drain just to help someone get stoned. When a doctor prescribes medical cannabis, including in Poland, they are doing so because cannabis is a proven medicine – a medicine that tens of thousands of peer reviewed studies have found to be safe and effective.

Scientists Observe Hemp Extracts Delaying The Aging Process In Honey Bees

Written by Johnny Green on May 2, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

Getting older stops being fun at some point. At least, I know that was the case for me. When you are younger you can’t wait to get old enough to go to school, or old enough to get a bike, or old enough to drive, or old enough to go to bars/dispensaries, etc.

But at some point aging becomes burdensome. Stuff starts to hurt that didn’t, hair stops growing in some places and starts growing in other places, and you aren’t able to do some of the physical things that you used to. For the physical things that you can still do, you do them slower and everything is sore for much longer afterwards.

Humans try very hard to delay or even try to reverse the aging process. It’s big business too. According to Statista, “in 2020, the global anti-aging market was estimated to be worth about 58.5 billion U.S. dollars. The anti-aging market is estimated to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of seven percent between 2021 and 2026.”

Obviously, not all anti-aging products work. A vast majority of them are nothing more than glorified snake oil that is used to financially prey upon people that want to age slower and live longer. However, there is one thing out there that may possess some promise for anti-aging product seekers – hemp.

Researchers affiliated with the Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland recently explored the relationship between honey bees and the consumption of hemp extracts.

“We examined the effect of hemp extract on the activity of the antioxidant system (catalase, peroxidase, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity) in the hemolymph of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera).” the researchers stated.

The study involved the researchers dividing the bees into three groups:

an experimental group fed with pure sugar syrup with cotton strips soaked with hemp extract put inside the cage
an experimental group fed with a mixture of sugar syrup with hemp extract
a control group fed with a mixture of sugar and a water-glycerine solution.

The researchers collected hemolymph samples on the 1st day of the study and every following week until all of the bees died. The researchers then examined the deceased bees.

“The activities of all antioxidant enzymes were higher for the experimental groups, compared to those for the control group. The highest antioxidant activities were noted in the group supplemented with cannabis with the use of syringes.” the researchers stated.

“Supplementation with hemp also increased the lifespan of bees in this group compared to that of the bees consuming only sugar syrup (control: 35 days), with 49 and 52 days for groups of cannabis on strips and in syrup, respectively. Hemp extract, thanks to its antioxidant properties, increased the activities of key antioxidant enzymes that protect the bee’s organisms against free radicals and thus delay the aging processes.” the researchers concluded.

Obviously, bees are not the same as humans, so how this applies to the human species is something that needs to be researched before any applicable conclusions can be made. However, the results as they pertain to bees are still very insightful. Hemp extracts are perfectly safe for bees and for humans, so boosting the consumption of hemp extracts in both species is a no-lose situation.

It is no secret that the global bee population is dwindling and that it could lead to catastrophic effects on the world’s ecosystems. Helping bees stay alive longer is always a good thing, and from that perspective, the results of this study are very remarkable and will hopefully be used to effectively help the world’s bee population.

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Polish Hemp Production Is Down – Because Of Government Stays On Incentives

Written by Marguerite Arnold on November 3, 2021. Posted in Business.

Hemp production fell about 36% this year because many farmers found their state-derived incentives blocked due to supposedly illegal levels of THC

Here is the good news. The Polish government is providing government incentives to the domestic hemp industry.

Now here is the kicker. The domestic Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR) which supports such efforts reduced the amount of money allocated for this activity on the basis that the hemp grown had a level of THC that is verboten.

As a result, hemp fields in cultivation for 2021 numbered just 2,300 hectares, down from 3,600 in 2020 as subsidies have been blocked for the FINOLA oilseed variety (the most popular crop).

The Finnish-based FINOLA is fighting back against this decision as well as the European Commission’s Standing Committee on Plants, Animals and Feed after the EU level agency issued a decision in late July allowing Poland to prohibit the marketing of its seeds.

There is an ongoing battle right now at the European level – namely about how and whether to proceed on a previous decision that CBD was not a narcotic or take a giant step back and reverse its earlier decision.

This hemming and hawing on a regional level is absolutely at play in Poland – particularly because the EC has already signed off on allowing a regional increase of THC from 0.2 – 0.3%.

However, the domestic government’s stance on the issue creates yet another snag in the pipeline – namely that a regional body and one country in the region (Finland) have already proceeded with the understanding that a higher level of THC would be allowed – and a local one dug in its heels on standing precedent.

This kind of whipsaw is of course not limited to either Poland or hemp. Much of the battle for legalization reform over the next few years will absolutely be to create regional standards and then get these clearly implemented in individual countries. Both strategies will have to be followed – one is not enough.

Beyond this, of course there are pending lawsuits that also may help change the landscape – but this strategy also has its drawbacks.

Cannabis Reform Is a Hot European Issue

Despite general intransigence and local skirmishes like this one (which have nonetheless proved to be a setback for the thriving Polish hemp industry), there is a new sense on a political level that cannabis reform is coming to Europe and will not be held back. This has been reinforced in the last month with both Switzerland and Luxembourg announcing the next steps to their own recreational markets.

Nonetheless, forward motion is going to be a hard-fought proposition – regionally and locally. This latest contretemps is just one more example.

Be sure to stay tuned to this blog for more trends and analysis of the European cannabis market.